[p.86] I have that feeling of certainty that I will end up with dictatorial powers if the situation continues—and the situation will continue. The HMB’s [Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan] and the Ma-Mao’s will continue to try to bring about a revolutionary situation. Massive sabotage is indicated by the crude bombs they are manufacturing and teaching their recruits to manufacture in their training camps. This also means they are not getting any aid (military) from outside. We should allow them to gather strength but not such strength that we cannot overcome them.
We continue to meet the students—a tedious time consuming effort to placate them. For what? They will come back with some more demands later on. But the play must go on.
We must establish a mass base. Father Calles suggests that the women who are getting impatient should be organized. I agree.
Then we must get the armed forces working properly. A dry run for Plan X must now be executed.
I talked to Ambassador Byroade and told him I needed his continuous support before I started the drive against the communists now and later when the ammunition is exhausted. There is not a single round of ammunition for our 35 rocket launchers. But we have just received our ammunition reloader.
Official Gazette for February 17, 1970: President Marcos took immediate steps to resolve peace and order problems which were brought to his attention. The President, together with Secretary of Justice Felix V. Makasiar, met with a delegation of Masbate students, who requested that NBI team be sent to look into the unsolved killings and the presence of goons in their province. The President immediately directed Secretary Makasiar to confer with NBI Director Jolly Bugarin and organize an NBI investigating team. In addition, the Chief Executive also placed under the PC command the Masbate Anti-Cattle Rustling Team.
Earlier, the President received Wesley C. Haraldson director of the United States Agency for International Development who bade goodbye before leaving for a new assignment in Washington, D.C The President later met with Undersecretary of Public Works Manuel Syquio and inquired into the status of various public works projects. The President devoted most of his time to working on state papers, until late in the evening. In the course of acting on official papers, the President approved the increase from P1 to P2 daily of the subsistence allowance of government hospital personnel. The President also recommended to the Board of Directors of the Philippine National Bank the election of Secretary Makasiar as chairman of the board, and designated Generoso Tanseco as board member.